Penan defender declared dead

23 March 2005

Five years after his disappearance in the Malaysian jungle, a Swiss court has officially declared activist Bruno Manser dead. Manser dedicated himself to the cause of the nomadic Penan tribe, defending their land rights against encroaching timber companies. The cause of his death is unknown, although his biographer has speculated that it was not accidental; Manser had long been a thorn in the side of the Malaysian government. The mystery remains, but his empowering work with the Penan is a striking legacy.